International
Argentina: candidates prepare for internal political party elections
May 29 |
On June 4, the internal elections of the political parties in Argentina will be held, which will define the formulas that will compete in the August primaries and in the general elections in October to elect the new president.
In the midst of a serious economic crisis and a social unrest that could lead the government to suffer a heavy defeat, according to opinion polls, the candidates are toughening their speeches and intensifying their campaigns.
The liberals, for the first time in history, capture the young vote and the so-called ‘angry vote’ of the society, they lead the polls, with their referent the economist Javier Milei, with an incendiary message.
“We are going to bet on a system that is going to take the machine away from the criminals of the politicians,” said Milei. “The main beneficiaries of the little machine that generates inflation are the crooks of the political caste, because it is the one that has financed the political caste and during the first two years of President Alberto Fernández they have looted (stolen) 11 points of the GDP from us.”
Kirchnerism has already differentiated itself from the current government and is presenting a pro-government candidate, the current Minister of the Interior, Wado de Pedro, who is seeking to gain followers for the Frente de Todos party.
“As Cristina Fernández de Kirchner rightly said, it is necessary to take the marshal’s baton, because there is a generation that is good for Argentina to refresh its leadership. New generations appear in businessmen, in the media, in the trade unions”, argues the candidate.
From the opposition, there is a possibility of recovering governorships, mayorships, legislative seats and even the presidency, with a tough message.
The former Minister of Security, Patricia Bullrich, from the right-wing Republican Proposal (Pro), says that “to adjust means to shrink a State that grew 100% in the last 20 years, and that took away the wealth of all Argentines, to create a bureaucracy, bigger and bigger, that went from 23% of the GDP to 42% and that left you absolutely nothing”.
“It did not give you better health, better housing, better education… so, I do not enter into the language of Kirchnerism”, he added.
The current mayor of Buenos Aires, Horacio Rodríguez Larreta, of Juntos por el Cambio, is the most moderate candidate with more experience in administration, and seeks to give guarantees of governability.
“Here the important thing is a development plan. We are going to make Argentina produce again, we are going to open new markets in the world because it needs our food, our oil, gas and we are going to modernize the labor system. Today it is a catastrophe and I am convinced that Argentina will stop suffering”, he recently promised.
The August primary elections will be decisive to measure the political pulse and to see who has real chances of winning.
International
U.S. strike in Caracas killed 32 cuban security officers, experts say surprise was crucial
Two days after a U.S. military attack on a military complex in Caracas, Havana confirmed that 32 members of its security forces were killed in the operation, some of whom were likely responsible for protecting Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. The Venezuelan government also reported that 23 of its own military personnel died during the assault.
Of the Cuban dead, 21 belonged to the Ministry of the Interior, which oversees intelligence services, and 11 were from the Revolutionary Armed Forces. No official information has been released regarding potential injuries.
Experts consulted by AFP agreed that the element of surprise was the key to the success of the U.S. military operation, which was meticulously prepared over months and kept entirely secret. “Cuban intelligence … convinced the Maduro regime and its security agencies that the United States would never attack Venezuelan territory,” explained José Gustavo Arocha, a former Venezuelan army officer and expert at the Center for a Secure Free Society, a U.S. defense think tank.
Fulton Armstrong, a former U.S. intelligence officer and Latin America researcher at American University in Washington, also highlighted the failure to anticipate the attack and to detect U.S. helicopters entering Venezuelan airspace, noting that even a five- to ten-minute warning could have made a significant difference for the guards and for Maduro.
U.S. forces additionally benefited from “incredible” real-time intelligence provided by stealth drones to monitor movements of the Venezuelan leader, according to experts. A highly sophisticated combat team was deployed, and analysts believe the order to “fire to kill” was likely given.
Paul Hare, former British ambassador to Cuba and Venezuela, added that Cuban intelligence also underestimated the extent of U.S. access to internal cooperation within Venezuela’s security apparatus, contributing to the operation’s success.
International
Report: Vatican mediation included russian asylum offer ahead of Maduro’s capture
The Vatican reportedly attempted to negotiate an offer of asylum in Russia for Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro before his capture by U.S. forces last Saturday, according to The Washington Post.
The U.S. newspaper reported that Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin spoke with U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See Brian Burch about a supposed Russian proposal to grant Maduro asylum. A source familiar with the offer said that what was proposed “was that he would leave and be able to enjoy his money,” and that part of the plan involved Russian President Vladimir Putin guaranteeing Maduro’s security.
Despite these diplomatic efforts, the United States carried out a military operation that resulted in Maduro’s capture and detention, along with his wife Cilia Flores, who are now being held in New York on narcoterrorism charges.
The Washington Post also noted that U.S. President Donald Trump may have invited Maduro to Washington for in-person discussions about safe conduct, an offer that Maduro reportedly declined.
International
Pope Leo XIV warns of rising “war enthusiasm” in global politics
“War is becoming fashionable again, and war enthusiasm is spreading.” Pope Leo XIV delivered a somber assessment of international politics on Friday, sharply criticizing the growing reliance on force by nations at a time when his country of birth is increasing military displays.
While offering New Year’s greetings to the diplomatic corps, the U.S.-born pope — who also holds Peruvian nationality — delivered one of his strongest speeches to date, denouncing the “worrying weakening of multilateralism” and the emergence of what he described as “war enthusiasm.”
From the outset of his address to ambassadors accredited to the Holy See, delivered in English, the pontiff lamented the rise of a “diplomacy of force, by individuals or groups of allied states,” at the expense of dialogue, warning that such trends threaten the global order established after World War II.
“Peace is no longer sought as a gift or as a good desirable in itself, or as the pursuit of ‘the establishment of an order willed by God, one that entails greater justice among human beings.’ Instead, it is pursued through weapons as a condition for asserting one’s own dominance,” the head of the Catholic Church said, without directly naming any country.
His remarks come amid ongoing conflicts between Ukraine and Russia and in the Gaza Strip, and against a broader international backdrop marked by European concerns over a potential U.S. takeover of Greenland, the autonomous Danish territory, a scenario that could threaten the cohesion of NATO.
U.S. strike in Caracas killed 32 cuban security officers, experts say surprise was crucial
Report: Vatican mediation included russian asylum offer ahead of Maduro’s capture
Pope Leo XIV warns of rising “war enthusiasm” in global politics
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